Improvement in mail-bags



G. 0. CLARK.

MAIL-BAG. v No.171,469, Patented me. 28,1875.

FHBB

N.PETERS. PHDT-UTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. C,

@E figli" f l A PATENT FFICE.

GERGE yo. CLARK,- ror PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

l, IMPROVEMENT |N`MA|L'BAGS.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 7 1,469, datedDecember 28, 1875*; application filed I May 14, 1875. v

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known lthat I,- GEORGE O. CLARK, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Mail-Bag Fastening and,

Label-Case, which improvement is fully set forthin the followingspecification, reference l being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention consists of a leather strap, label-case, and hasp combined,which are attached to the iap covering the mouth of the bag by means oftwo swivel' studs and buttons, all arranged in such a manner as to co-Post-0flce Department, showing my inven.

tion applied. Fig. 2 is a view of the same, showing thel mouth of thebag open. Fig. 3 is a view of my invention, showing it as applied to thesmaller size bags in use by the Post-Office Department. Fig. 4 is a viewlooking down on thetop of the bag, showing the manner of adjustingthestrap and labelcase to the lock-staple. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionthrough a portion of the bag and one of the swivel studs and buttons forattaching the strap and label-case to the covering-Hap, and also toassist in securing said flap over the mouth of the bag. Fig. 6 is asection throughl one of the swivel-studs and one of the metallicstrap-ends.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the label-case, detached and laid open toreceive the label. Fig. Slis an end View of one of the swivel studs-andbuttons.

A and A', Figs. 1 and 3, are the swivelstuds, which are made in the formas shown in Figs. 5 and 6, with open jaws b and b', in one of which (b)is pivoted the label-case B,

and in the other' (b) is pivoted the metallic strap-end C. The saidstuds pass Vthrough metallic grommets d and d secured in the flap D ofthe bag E, and bear on their inner ends, buttons e and e', In the frontof the bag and directly opposite tothe buttons e ande are made twoopenings, f and. f1, as shown in. Fig. 2, which are also provided withgrommets, and are made sufficiently large to permit the buttons to passfreely through in closing the bag. Along the front of the bag, and on aline with the said openings, are placed three or more strapstaples, g,g1, and g2, and a lock-staple, h, which` pass through appropriateopeningsf, f3, f4, and f5 madein the flap D.`

In closing the bag the hap D is'pressed down over the mouth, whichcauses the buttons c and c to pass through the openings f and fl, andthe staples g g1, Ste., through their proper openings. The leather strapF, which is attached to the swivel-stud A', is then turned sufficientlyto cause the button e to extend transversely across the openin gI f l.The

`opposite end of the strap is then passed under. the staples g, g1, andg2, and over the lockstaple h, after which the label-case B is movedround and closed down over the leather strap and lock-staple, whichmovement also causes the button on the swivel-stud A to extend acrossthe opening f. In this position of the fastening it will be impossible,after the padlock is applied, to extract any of the contents through themouth of the bag.

It will readily be seen that by locking the ends of theyllap to the bagby means of the Vswivelstuds and buttons, and the employment of themetallic label-case, which extends some .distance across the bag, areduced number of strap-staples are required, thereby lightening theWeight of the bag, and at the same time permitting it to be more readilyopened or closed.

be dispensed with, thereby rendering the bag p less complicated to openand close.

The label-case B, which also acts inthe capacity of a hasp, is bisectedlongitudinally, and is capable of being turned or reversed from side toside on the swivel-stud A.

What I claim as my invention s with buttons-e and e, in combinationwith 1. The combination, in a inail-bag fastening, openings f and f1 iuthe body ofthe bag', subof the swivel-studs A and A', buttons e and e',stantially as herein shown and described.

bsected label-oase and hasp B, leather strap GEORGE O. CLARK.l F, andmetallic strap-end C, substantially as Witnesses: herein shown anddescribed. ALEXANDER H. MORGAN,

2.,lhe swivel-studs A and A', provided'4 ISAAC R. OAKFORD.

